1 Kings 8:61
61 Let your heart therefore be wholly true to the Lord our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments, as at this day.” ESV
- Later in life Solomon himself would have done well to listen to his own advice. I think most of the time we are fully capable of giving ourselves great advice. If someone else came to us with the same problem we would give them good advice the trick is both in doing, and making your choice before the heat of a moment filled with emotion. 2 Chron 12:14
- What areas are you not taking your own advice? “I know I really should….” “I probably shouldn’t… But” Why is it hard to take your own advice?
- Are you making choices ahead of time or do you wait until emotions are high and you can no longer think straight.
Ex 5:2
2 But Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.” ESV
- Prov 8:13; Ex 14:4; Pharaoh doesn’t know God so there is no reason to obey him. The first step in the fear of the Lord is knowing that He exists. If someone was to look at your life does it demonstrate the fear of the Lord through obedience, or does it display that they you say you believe in a God you never give thought to? Do you think about the fact that He is and that you will give an account to him?
- Throughout the rest of Pharaoh’s story God wants him to know that he is God. Ex 7:5, 17; 8:10, 22; 9:14, 29; 14:4, 18;
- At first his magicians were able to do the same signs, so pharaoh begin to harden his heart, 8:19 his magicians told him this is God, yet pharaoh’s heart was already hardened. In Ex 10:3 Pharaoh is asked how long will you refuse to humble yourself before God. So it is no longer a question of if this signs are from God but the question now is who is stronger Pharaoh or God.
- (see notes on pharaoh’s hardening his heart Ex 4:21)
Ex 1:17
17 But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live. ESV
- Prov 8:13; Fearing God changed the way they lived. What was right was more important to them then what Pharaoh wanted them to do.
Ex 1:21
21 And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. ESV
- Ex 1:17; Prov 8:13; God rewarded them for fearing him. Along with obeying God comes his blessing.
- This doesn’t mean that if you follow God everything will be a cake walk. They still had to face an unhappy pharaoh. Joseph out of fear of God refused to sin with Potiphar’s wife Gen 39:9. This choice wasn’t easy, in fact it took him to jail for a few years, but even in the midst of a mess God’s favor was on him. The character that got him in prison opened up doors for him to be over all the rest of the prisoners and eventually set him in charge of Egypt. Following God is filled with a different set of challenges. You will have opposition, but you will have God’s blessing and his favor when you do things his way.
Rom 13:1-2
Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. NKJV
- Authority Acts 23:5; Eph 6:1-2; Heb 13:17; 1 Peter 2:13-15;
- I would like to say to start with that I don’t like this verse. But that doesn’t change its divine status. God is the ultimate and divine authority, when we start rebelling against authorities we are ultimately rebelling against Him. God instituted the home and it was His idea to place parents in the home and to give them authority. He tells kids in to obey their patents (Eph 6:1-2), if they refuse they are rebelling against more then just their parents. The Bible does make it clear if the authority is telling you to disobey God you still need to obey God (Acts 5:29) He is the ULTIMATE authority. But I think by nature I have a tendency to undervalue the other authorities that God has ordained. God help me to respect all authority that you have established.
Prov 28:9
9 One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, Even his prayer is an abomination. NKJV
- 1 Thess 5:17;
- What kind of prayer is it if you have turned your ear away from the law? If you are not really interested in God or His word why should He speak. It is when you seek with all your heart that you find. Jer 29:13 Not when you seek yourself with all your heart. Do your prayers seek God’s face or just his blessing for yourself? Prayer is not meant to be a self-centered action. Hos 7:14
Prov 28:4
Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, But such as keep the law contend with them. NKJV
- Do your actions praise the Lord or the wicked? Your life talks, what do your actions say? Prov 20:11;
- I was just thinking this morning the wicked and the righteous our not two roads they are opposing forces. One cannot dance between them; your every act is celebrating one or the other. Whose team are you playing for? I think there are a lot of people that want to be on the team of the righteous, and the wise, yet they play for the wicked and the foolish. They think that they can some how dance between, or sit on the fence. This is a fight and your every action is fighting for one side or the other. Do you know who you are fighting for?
Prov 21:3
3 To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice. NIV
- Ps 51:17; James 1:27;
- It is not our religious activity that is meant to set us apart. (John 13:35) We are supposed to have and show a love, an amazing love. Can people see that love in you? Do you live any different then someone who doesn’t know God? Where does His love shine through you? What was the last thing you did to show the world or one person God’s love? It is easy to talk; it isn’t as easy to look back at myself. Sure I am a good guy. I work hard to do what is right to have integrity and not allow compromise, to spend time with God daily. Yet where is my love seen. I guess if I really stop I can see the effort I have been putting in to try to love. There are all the students I stop to love, but that is also my job. There is my friend I will be there for as he hurts, yet even non-Christians will be there for a friend in hard times. There is the kid in the Dominican that I am showing God’s love to. Supporting Clint allows me to show God’s love in places I can’t personally go. I guess as I look it is there but I don’t want to have to look. I want God’s love to mark me. I want it to set me apart. God have your way in me, and make me more like you. (Luke 10:30-37; James 2:18 Can people see your faith)
